Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Around the Block

Nine States Sue Trump Administration for Blocking Climate Progress at U.S. DOT

2:34 PM EDT on September 25, 2017

One of the biggest reforms of federal transportation policy in recent memory came this January, when U.S. DOT issued a rule requiring state DOTs to measure the impact of their projects on greenhouse gas emissions. With transportation now accounting for more carbon pollution in America than electricity, the rule injects much-needed transparency and accountability into transportation policy and the tens of billions of dollars that state DOTs spend each year.

But with the Trump administration looking to undo as much of the Obama legacy as possible, in July U.S. DOT announced it would “indefinitely delay” the rule. The thing is, federal rules don’t work like that. Presidents don’t get to pick and choose which ones they comply with.

So in August, the Natural Resources Defense Council filed suit against the Trump Administration to force compliance.

Now, the NRDC’s Amanda Eaken at the Natural Resources Defense Councilwrites that nine states have filed a parallel lawsuit to compel the administration to uphold the law:

The full list of plaintiffs includes California, the California Air Resources Board, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota by and through Minnesota DOT, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.

The states in the case seek a declaration that the Trump Administration’s delay and suspension of the GHG Measure without notice and comment violated the Administrative Procedures Act (APA), and an injunction ordering defendants to end the suspension of the GHG Measure.

These states are filing this litigation because they are seeking to protect their interests in protecting their citizens’ health and welfare, and in safeguarding their citizens from the adverse effects of climate change.

The government’s response to the states’ complaint will be due in late November.

More recommended reading today: Urban Review STL says St. Louis has yet to adopt NACTO’s best practice for bus stops: sidewalk expansions, called “bus bulbs,” that let buses remain in the travel lane instead of merging in and out of traffic. And Bike Delaware reports that a precedent-setting package of bike safety laws is on its way to the governor’s desk and should become law on October 5.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Wednesday’s Headlines: Concerted Effort Edition

The Great Lawn will be closed to the public six weeks earlier than normal because of those damn rockers. Plus other news.

October 4, 2023

Broadway Vision: Watch 15 Years of Transformation in a Single Streetfilm

It's hard to see the big picture of just what has been accomplished between Times and Union squares. That's where Clarence Eckerson Jr. comes in.

October 4, 2023

What Do ‘Livable’ Streets Look Like in an Era of Driverless Cars?

In today's Brake podcast, Kea Wilson asks Bruce Appleyard what future livable streets have in a world of autonomous cars.

October 4, 2023

NYPD Steps Up Effort Against Illegal Mopeds, But Some Advocates Want a Different Approach

The NYPD seized some illegal wheels from delivery workers in the middle of their route on Wednesday, part of a stepped-up effort.

October 4, 2023

Astoria Organizers Lead the Way on Street Safety with a Reddit Strategy

The western Queens neighborhood has become a hub for a new kind of safe street advocacy.

October 3, 2023
See all posts